Spring has sprung even in the coldest places…it stays lighter later, flowers are blooming, everything is green, the air smells sweeter. Am I just noticing all of this? Well, maybe. I feel like many of us have felt like we had been living in a dark cave this past winter, with COVID adding to the pit of despair in which some of us found ourselves. It was a long uphill climb out for sure.
But as they say, maybe the dark helped us better appreciate the light, the same way the winter helped us appreciate the spring. I recently read one of the all-time favorite book quotes in talking about famous dialogue to my Master Class students and I’m reminded of it now. It’s the starting line of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens…”It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.â€
Recently I feel like I’ve come out of a long hibernation, asking “Where have I been?” But the better question I see now is “Where am I going?” Summer is actually my favorite time of year…and spring tells me it’s just around the bend and it will be here before I know it. And so it goes…the moral being that sometimes we have to go through darkness to appreciate the light, through winter to get to spring and summer, through hard times to know better ones…and we need to hold onto our faith and know “this too shall pass.”
I do know that all work and no play make Michele a dull girl. So I need to remember to keep balance as well…to mix play with work, time with friends and family and time alone, to maintain my physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. It’s not always easy, but always worth trying. Today I think I’ll take a few minutes to “stop and smell the roses.”
Lord, please help me to remember to try to have balance in my life and to appreciate all of your gifts…today!
